WWII American Elgin Army Ordnance Wrist Watch

WWII American Elgin Army Ordnance Wrist Watch - Manufactured by Elgin National Watch Company of Elgin, Illinois, with a ruby-jeweled movement, functional, weighing 31 grams with the strap on, for enlisted men and officers. The maker's name "ELGIN" appears below the twelve position, ornate black hour and minute hands, each minute position marked with black rules, plus large, luminous Arabic numbers at each five minute position. The six position is substituted with an inset second hand clock with an ornate black second hand. The case is nickel-plated brass, the back of which is marked "ORD. DEPT / U.S.A. / OF - 487534", the appropriate Ordnance Department markings, and comes with a reeded ball finial stem. It measures 34.2 mm x 37.5 mm x 11.2 mm, with its original olive green two-piece strap stitched to the case pins. Yellowing evident on the face, light contact on the body and glass from active use, light soiling on the strap, very fine.
Footnote: Today's military wristwatches are, in effect, disposable. Their specifications state that they are made to be discarded when they stop running. However, sixty years ago, when WWII was raging, much more was expected from a timepiece. Resources weren't as available, technology was relatively simple and no one could afford to throw anything away. Watches had to be sturdy enough to stand up to the grueling salt, heat and humidity of the Pacific Theater, as well as the numbing cold of the European Campaign. American watch houses ceased civilian production during these years and devoted themselves to producing timing instruments for the war. Elgin, then the largest watch manufacturer in the world, produced bomb timers and fuses, aircraft and tank watches, ship's chronometers, pocket and wristwatches. These watches were issue, meaning the only way they made it back home was on the arms of officers and "borrowed" in field packs and ruck-sacks. Most were crushed or buried overseas to keep the market in the United States from being flooded with watches, which would have ruined American watch manufacturers already starved for civilian business. These surviving examples are valuable, not only because they're so scarce, but because they were worn on the wrists of valiant soldiers. The Elgin National Watch Company, most commonly known as just the Elgin Watch Company, was a major American watch maker from 1864 until its closure in 1968. The company sold watches under the names, Elgin, Lord Elgin, and Lady Elgin. For nearly one hundred years, the company's manufacturing complex in Elgin, Illinois was the largest site dedicated to watchmaking in the world.

10K Gold with a green glass stone in the center, surrounded by the inscription "THIRD MARINE DIVISION", an oval insignia affixed to the stone inscribed "KOREA", flanked by Marine Corps eagles on either side, marked "10K" (Gold), hallmarked and engraved with the initials "T.E.W." and the service number "US52332510" on the inside, 14,8 mm x 16.8 mm face plate, 21.5 mm in diameter on the outside, extremely fine.

Footnote: The 3rd Marine Division was officially activated on September 16, 1942 at Camp Elliott, San Diego, California. Most of the original members of the division were drawn from the cadre staff of the 2nd Marine Division. The division was initially built around the 9th Marine Regiment, commanded by Colonel Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr. who later became the 20th Commandant of the Marine Corps. Major General Charles D. Barrett was the first commanding general of the division. The division echeloned into Auckland, New Zealand between January and March 1943. In June of that year they moved onto Guadalcanal for additional training. September 27, 1943 saw the division land as part of the Battle of Bougainville and fight on the island until their last unit to arrive, the 21st Marine Regiment, embarked on January 9, 1944. During the course of the battle the division had approximately 400 Marines killed. They returned to Guadalcanal in January 1944 to rest, refit and train. The next operation the division took part in was the Battle of Guam. From July 21, 1944 until the last day of organized fighting on August 10th, the division fought through the jungles on the island of Guam. During these twenty-one days of fighting, the division captured over 60 square miles of territory and killed over 5,000 enemy soldiers. The next two months saw continuous mopping up operations in which the Marines continued to engage left over Japanese forces. At the end of the battle the division had sustained 677 Marines killed, 3,626 wounded and 9 missing. The division remained on the island of Guam for training purposes until they embarked as part of the landing force for the Battle of Iwo Jima. The 3rd Marine Division was initially in reserve for the battle, however they were committed one regiment at a time, as the initial regiments that landed needed to be relieved. The 21st Marines came ashore on February 20th, followed by the 9th Marines and were reinforced by a battalion from the 3rd Marines on February 25th. The Marines of these two infantry regiments, supported by the artillery of the 12th Marine Regiment and tanks of the 3rd Tank Battalion, fought on Iwo Jima until the end of organized resistance on March 16th and the subsequent mopping up operations for the next month. All elements of the Division were back on Guam by April 17, 1945. The fighting on Iwo Jima would cost the 3rd Marine Division 1,131 killed in action and another 4,438 wounded. After the return to Guam, the Division began preparing for the invasion of Japan. This however never took place as Japan surrendered in August 1945 and the division was inactivated on December 28, 1945. The division was reactivated on January 7, 1952 at Camp Pendleton, California. Immediately after its activation and still in its organizational state, the division began intensive combat training, including new tactics and maneuvers based on lessons learned in the then-ongoing Korean War. During the remaining part of 1952, elements of the division participated in numerous exercises and training problems, including vertical envelopment (helicopter landing), airborne operations and attack, and defense against atomic weapons and missiles. In August 1953, the division arrived in Japan to support the 1st Marine Division in the defense of the Far Eastern area. In March 1956, the division moved to Okinawa and remained there in a readiness posture until 1965. The 3rd Marine Division moved to Okinawa in June 1955 making an amphibious landing. On May 6, 1965, the 3rd Marine Division opened the Marine Compound at the Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam. They were the first American combat troops to be sent to Vietnam to protect the Da Nang Air Base. By the end of 1965, the Division had all its regiments (3rd Marines, 4th Marines and 9th Marines) on the ground. In October 1966, then commanding general Lew Walt was ordered to establish strong points just south of the Vietnamese Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The division moved its headquarters from Da Nang to Phu Bai in late 1966. At the same time the division was also building outposts along the southern half of the DMZ at Con Thien, Gio Linh, Cam Lộ and Đông Hà. During this period, Lima Company of the 3rd Marines was commanded by John Ripley, who became famous for single-handedly destroying the bridge at Dong Ha in 1972, slowing the advance of the North Vietnamese army. The first major multi-regiment operations against the North Vietnamse Army was Operation Hastings in July 1966. Operation Prairie followed in October. This area would come to be known as Leatherneck Square. In late 1967, the headquarters moved again from Phu Bai to Đông Hà in the Quang Tri Province and more outposts were opened. Camp Carroll, Rockpile, Ca Lu and Khe Sanh. The two main enemy divisions the Marines fought were the 324B NVA Division and the 320th NVA Division. On November 14, 1967 the 3rd Marine Division commander General Bruno Hochmuth was killed northwest of Hue City in a helicopter crash. Some of the major operations in 1967 and early 1968 in this area were Operation Prairie III, Operation Prairie IV, Operation Hickory, Operation Cimarron, Operation Buffalo, Operation Kingfisher and Operation Kentucky. Nearly 8,000 NVA were killed during this time period. The Marines suffered over 1,400 killed and over 9,000 wounded. There were five Medal of Honors awarded and nearly 40 Navy Crosses given during this period of time. For its service in the Republic of Vietnam, the division was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation in 1967. During the Tet Offensive, the division conducted operations along the DMZ with a portion of the division fighting in Huế. The operational tempo increased with the initiation of the Tet Offensive in late January 1968. At the time, 3rd Marine Division intelligence estimated the combat strength of NVA and VC forces in the DMZ area was 40,943 troops. The NVA and VC stepped up their attacks by fire on every combat base in the division area of operations. This included daily attempts at interdiction of naval traffic on the Cua Viet River near Đông Hà. The division had to invest many of its assets to open the Cua Viet River to traffic. BLT 5/l, the Landing Force of SLF B, remained under the operational control (OPCON) of the division throughout February 1968. BLT 3/l continued Operation SALINE under operational control of the 1st Amtrac Bn with the mission of clearing the area adjacent to the Cua Viet River between Cua Viet and Đông Hà . BLT 2/4, the Landing Force of SLF A, remained under operational control of the Division throughout the month. BLT 2/4 conducted operations in the LANCASTER II and KENTUCKY areas. During the Vietnam War, the 3rd Marine Division suffered 6,869 men killed in action. The division departed South Vietnam in November 1969 with more than 20 Marines receiving the Medal of Honor and moved to Camp Courtney, Okinawa.

A First War American 3rd Army; 32nd Division Doughboy Tunic - This tunic is fabricated from an olive drab wool, each shoulder with epaulette straps held in place via small bronze buttons with the United States coat-of-arms. The left shoulder has a 63 mm three-color 3rd Army patch, comprised of two white strips of cotton forming the "A" enclosed in a red cotton circle, all sewn on a navy blue wool base. Immediately below is a 25 mm x 90 mm 32nd Infantry Division patch, illustrating a red embroidered arrow with a horizontal line through the middle, on a black wool base. The upper left arm has a Discharge Stripe, composed of a upward-pointing red wool chevron on an olive drab wool base, while the lower left forearm has a pair of downward-pointing gold-bullion wire War Service Chevrons, each representing six months overseas service. There are bronze collar disks held firmly in place via screwbacks on both collars, the right collar with a U.S. Army disk, the left collar with an "M.G." (Machine Gunner) disk. The hook and eye closures at the collar have been lost to time but the protective tab remains on the left side. The front has four large pockets, one on each breast, with slightly larger pockets below each, all pockets with the same small bronze buttons as used with the epaulette straps and have fold over flaps with a reinforced buttonhole. Inside the lower right pocket is a maker label inscribed "LEOPOLD MORSE CO. BOSTON MASS. Contract No. 1030. Feb. 16, 1918 BOSTON DEPOT" with an ink stamping along the bottom of the label that has faded over the years. The front is completed by a vertical row of five large bronze buttons, each with the United States coat-of-arms, the reverses maker marked "AM BUTTON CO. NEWARK N.J.", facing an equal number of reinforced button holes on the left. The inside of the tunic is unlined, with a 42 mm wide brown cotton strip in the collar, to protect the neck from the coarseness of the wool, along with a 65 mm long brown cotton strap for hanging the tunic on a hook. The tunic measures 440 mm across the shoulders and 740 mm in length overall, exhibiting scattered mothing on the back panels and on the 3rd Army patch, the second and third large buttons on the front having been re-sewn to the uniform. The tunic continues to exhibit flawless, quality workmanship, thanks to the superior fabrics employed, with intact stitching, maintaining its original period look. Near extremely fine.
Footnote: The 32nd Infantry Division was organized from the Michigan and Wisconsin National Guard at Camp MacArthur, Texas in August 1917. The arrow was selected because they “shot thru every line the Boche put up”. The Division's First World War campaigns included: Aisne-Marne, Oise-Aisne, Meuse-Argonne, Alsace and Champagne.

A First War American Manufactured M1917 Camouflage Helmet - American-made, steel, non-magnetic, rough sandpaper-like surface, camouflage painted in red, yellow, green and black. The protective edge of the helmet in a magnetic steel. Inside, leather-framed cradle supporting a blackened canvas liner with underlying burlap support and gray protective pressed fabric forehead pad, mesh support with drawstring, the underside of the liner maker stamped in black ink "L.C.C.&.Co. 1918", with an adjacent illegible stamp in faded blue ink nearby. The steel itself was rolled by the American Sheet and Tin Plate Company and stamped "ZB59" ("ZB" indicating the heat number and "59" the shipping number) on the underside of the helmet at the front, with pressed fabric in the dome. The leather chin strap remains relatively supple and is intact, exhibiting crazing from active wear, with its original hardware. Helmet measures 287 mm x 310 mm x 110 mm, exhibiting chips in the paint on the exterior, scattered contact marks and rust spots on the interior skirt, very light wear evident on the liner, as worn.
Footnote: The American helmet is nearly identical to the British Mark I helmet. The difference between the two helmets is the rivet securing the chinstrap loop to the helmet, the lack of the rubber "doughnut" in the liner, and the properties of the steel used to manufacture the M1917 helmet shell. Also, the M1917 helmet had a heavier sandpaper texture than the British Mark I. After the Armistice, many doughboys personalized their helmets with various painted designs. This included division insignia, patriotic motifs, and camouflage. This helmet is an example of a camouflage scheme based on German helmet camouflage patterns.

A WWI Map of the Western Front Named to American Flyer - Map obverse printed in four-colour ink (red, blue, yellow and black), entitled "Kenyon's Map of the Western Battle Front", tagged "Copyright 1918" and manufactured by "The Kenyon Co., Map Makers, Des Moines, Iowa", with fold lines. Map charts the areas of southeast England, Central and Eastern France, Belgium, Southern Holland, Luxembourg, northwest Switzerland, Western Germany and the disputed region of Alsace-Lorraine, detailed with cities and towns, railways, country boundaries, canals, roads, rivers and other bodies of water. It features fifteen squares in red with corresponding numbers, illustrating the "hot spots" throughout France and Belgium. The map is scaled in miles, with the battle lines shown in red (dotted lines illustrating the advance in 1914, solid lines illustrating the battle front on March 21, 1918). There are two inset maps in the lower left corner: one of the Eastern Front (map illustrating northeast Germany, Poland, Austria, Romania, northern Bulgaria and Russia), the other of the Italian Battle Front (map illustrating southern Austria, northeast Italy and southeast Switzerland). The reverse printed in black ink with an Index of Towns, the map measuring 607 mm x 627 mm. Upper left corner of the map pasted into a canary yellow folder, printed in black ink, entitled "KEYSTONE TRADE MARK / WAR MAP OF WESTERN BATTLE FRONT OF EUROPE / WITH BATTLE LINES SHOWN IN RED", keystone outline below, the aforementioned in a large, thick keystone outline, inscribed in handwritten black ink "Lieut. Lester D. Mayne, Ellington Field, Houston, Texas." and "U.S. Air Service.", map folds up into the 89 mm x 157 mm folder. Scattered tears evident along the fold lines of the map, wear evident along the edges and reverse of the folder, better than very fine.